Behavior & Basic Training: Training and the Canine Mind

What is dog training?

Obedience Training - teaching your dog to perform specific activities with an emphasis on prompt and precise action.
Behavior Modification - teaching your dog to be a confident, well socialized canine citizen.
Activity Training - hunting, herding, lure coursing, search and rescue, agility and fly ball.

The Canine Mind

Before you begin training, it is important to understand how your dog learns, how he perceives the world around him and how his environment will affect him.

The Senses

"A dog lives in a world where its mind functions according to the information it receives from its senses to survive in its environment." Bruce Fogle D.V.M. 'The Dog's Mind' Touch is very important for the development of a mature and sensible mind. Be aware of how your dog responds to your touch. Taste - make training more pleasurable by finding food rewards that stimulate your dog's taste buds. Vision - be aware of your dog's binocular and peripheral visual capabilities and how that relates to his perception of distance and your body positioning. Hearing - be sensitive to how your dog receives information through sound, and learn how to adapt your vocal tone and pitch to aid communication. Scent - be aware of your dog's awesome sense of smell. Learning is also greatly influenced by instinct; genetics; evolution; selective breeding; hormones; human intervention and environment.

How do dogs learn?

Operant Conditioning (Operant learning- a consequence for a behavior)

The dog learns that there are consequences to his/her behavior. If the consequence is pleasant the behavior excels.

1. Dog does something (operant behavior)
2. Dog gets food (positive reinforcement)

Classical Conditioning

The Russian scientist Pavlov defined the principles of classical conditioning. In his original experiments, a bell was rung, and a dog was given food; eventually, the dog began to salivate on hearing the bell, anticipating the arrival of the food. This is pure stimulant-response stuff, since the signal (the bell) always comes before the reinforcement, and the dog doesn't do anything to make the bell ring.

Clicker training

Clicker training uses the same principles as Pavlovian conditioning, but instead of ringing a bell, a device known as a clicker is used to produce a stimulant-response. The 'click' is a unique sound that is difficult to imitate in everyday life and is highly audible.

The trainer initially 'charges' the clicker up by repeating the following scenario multiple times:

1. Trainer clicks (stimulus)
2. Trainer gives the dog food (reinforcement)

1. Trainer clicks
2. Dog drools (response)
3. Dog gets food

Learned Experience

The earliest and commonest ways that dogs acquire knowledge is by watching one dog doing a behavior and following it.

Why train your dog?

Training your dog helps to establish lines of vocal and physical communication in order to build a common language and understanding between you and your dog. It helps to build a strong bond, promoting security and confidence. This is essential for healthy development.

Obedience Training

Originally a set of rules designed for competition, now used as a way to communicate, stimulate and control. Has to be used appropriately.

Commands; Body language; Vocal tone and pitch; Timing; Consistency; Proofing; Clicker Training

Rewards - result in an increase of the selected behavior
Rewards include food, praise, toys, play, touch, and a walk!
Find what rewards motivate your dog the most.
Vary rewards.
Use rewards intermittently.
Don't miss a chance to catch and reward behavior that you like.

Corrections - result in a decrease of the selected behavior
Avoid physical corrections.
Vocal corrections have to be appropriate.
Sound corrections can be used to elicit a startle response but have to be used appropriately.
Time outs are a potent correction.

Behavior modification and behavioral problems

Socialization - socialize your dog to all kinds of people, children, other dogs, sounds, textures, environments and situations. Isolation and lack of attention is a major cause of behavioral problems.

Sensory Stimulation - enrich your dog's environment to avoid sensory deprivation. Adapt sensory stimulation to the type of breed you have.

Exercise - is essential for maintaining a healthy body and a stimulated mind.

What are Behavioral Problems?

Canine behavioral problems usually arise from one or more of the following causes: a medical condition, genetic predisposition, lack of socialization, mental and physical deprivation, pack separation, control or competitive issues, environmental influence.

Common problems include:

Inappropriate elimination; excessive barking; separation anxiety; jumping up; mouthing; excessive chewing; fears and phobias; coprophagy (stool eating); digging; and aggression.

Popular behavior modification techniques include:

Management - manage the dog's environment effectively so that it never has the chance to rehearse the negative behavior.

Obedience and Behavioral Training - go back to basics.

Desensitization - is a process whereby the dog is exposed to the fearful stimulus at a lower intensity and given powerful rewards for not showing negative behavior. Over time the level of intensity is raised until the dog no longer gives a negative response to the stimulus. He has become emotionally desensitized to its presence. Periodic exposures to the stimulus should be continued throughout the dog's life so that training is reinforced.

Counterconditioning - conditions the dog to associate the presence of a threatening stimulus with something pleasurable.

Pharmalogical intervention - some dogs suffer from a chemical imbalance in the brain that influences behavior and will therefore require prescribed medication. If your trainer or veterinarian advises the need for pharmalogical support, it is very important that you find out as much as you can about the medication prescribed, watch carefully for side effects and administer the medication along with behavioral training.

Training Tips

1. TCP = Time, Commitment and Patience is very important when training your dog.
2. Progress can be slow and expect setbacks. If the dog gets stuck, go onto something else.
3. Normal dogs can learn at any age from seven weeks when the brain has developed up to the time their mental capacities start to deteriorate in old age.
4. Spaced practice is always superior to massed practice. Three five to ten minute training sessions a day are recommended for obedience training but commands and behavioral exercises should be used throughout daily life.
5. Tired dogs don't learn. Mental activity can be more tiring than physical activity.
6. Start in a quiet environment and gradually move to a more stimulating one.
7. Training should be fun and all sessions should end on a high note with plenty of praise.
8. Set your dog up for success. Make it easy for your dog to do well.
9. Training is an on-going process. It never ends and should be continually reinforced throughout your dog's life.

www.dogtrainersofnewjersey.com
Victoria Stilwell is a principle in Dog Trainers of New Jersey is a New Jersey dog training and obedience training organization offering services throughout New Jersey. Their experienced New Jersey client-centered dog trainers and animal behaviorists can train you to train your canine with positive reinforcement. They also provide New Jersey pet boarding. We thank them for their help and continued support for Stray from the Heart Dog Rescue.

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